Archive for June, 2011

Yesterday was the first day of the Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual sale, what does this mean?! That overpriced items are still overpriced, but at half off the previous overpriced price, all that to say bras that no one wants are 50% off. So anyway, the first day of the sale is the best day to go because there is still tons of selection and everything is sorta organized, but then it is the worst day to go too because the store is swamped and you have to wait in line to try stuff on. Plus the fitting room attendant will tell you, as you are standing outside of the fitting rooms that are clearly full because the have big “Occupied” signs hanging on the handles “The rooms are all occupied now, but we will get you in as soon as one opens up.” The fitting room attendant had to let us know that, I guess provisions must be made for the illiterate.

Anyway so there I was, 10 different “fashion color” bras and one nightshirt in hand, walking into a long awaited fitting room when out came a lady that never heard of SPF and in I went. Trying on this and that, nothing that looked good or warranted the 10 minute wait for a fitting room, I was pulling on a snazzy looking sports bra when I noticed something silver hanging from a hook. Upon closer inspection, the bra was definite no, and the silver thing was a definite “oh wow I want that”. Someone had left a COACH bangle in the fitting room…it still had the price tag on the inside. It was mint! It was white and silver and matched my gray linen pants and white shirt to perfection! It was like God was sending me this bracelet to makeup for the long line and the unsatisfactory bras! But at the same time there was a sinking feeling, I had seen the lady that left it in the fitting room, I could give it to the fitting room attendant to give back to her, but I didn’t see that actually happening. I could leave it there and hope she remembered it, I could keep it, or I could take it and go find her in the store and give it back to her. Really…the only option I wanted to do was to take it with me. I really wanted that damn bracelet! I mean she forgot it…it was her fault! I shouldn’t be deprived of a bracelet that I found in the fitting room cause she has a bad memory. Right?!

I finally made up my mind; I was totally stealing the bracelet. Walking out of the fitting room the good angel on my shoulder told me that was totally horrible. I finally made up my mind; I was totally giving the bracelet to the cashier to give to the lady. Getting in line to pay for my stuff, I finally made up my mind; I was totally stealing the bracelet. One meaningless conversation about halter style bras later with another customer and my mind was made up I was turning the bracelet over. The bad angel kept poking me with his damn pitchfork telling me that the cashier would steal it, that the lady would never get it back, that she forgot it and she didn’t deserve to have it! Finally, one swipe of my credit card later, I was done, I had my purchases, the bracelet, and a decision to make. It was a gorgeous bracelet, and it would have been a wonderful addition to my accessories collection, but sadly it wasn’t mine and it deserved to go back to it’s owner.

The bad angel put up a good fight, it kept telling me that maybe it wasn’t even the property of the lady I thought it belonged to, maybe it was the person who used the fitting room before her! But at the end of the day the good angel won out, was that even my concern? So what if the bracelet didn’t belong to the lady who I thought it belonged to, let my conscience be clear knowing I did the best to return it to it’s owner (probably Visa). Wandering through the piles of bright colored bras, and underwear silkscreened with double entendres I found the lady, and said goodbye to “my bracelet” of 20 minutes. Tapping her on the shoulder I asked, “excuse me did you lose a bracelet?” The look of horror and frantic pat down of her arms seemed pretty real, handing over the bracelet the lady started to hug me and kept exclaiming “Where did I lose it, did it slip off?!” I barely said “fitting room” when she responded “Oh my gosh I left it in the fitting room, that is really nice of you! That is actually REALLY nice of you!” With a quick you’re welcome I walked out of the store as braceletless as I was when I walked in.

I really would have liked to keep the bracelet, and doing the “right thing” sucked in terms of my accessory drawer. But it was also really nice to make a random stranger happy that they got back something they didn’t even know they lost in the first place.